1. Roy Helu provided a spark. Whoa; I’ll need to slow down on providing such insight. But one thing that was evident watching the games again the past few weeks is how much quicker to the hole he appeared than Ryan Torain. I still don’t know about Helu’s durability, but this was a physical defense he ran against Sunday and he matched their pop. I have no idea how many yards he gained after first contact, but I do know that it happened quite a bit. It wasn’t just the flashy 28-yard touchdown run. It was a handful of others that enabled Washington to get three, sometimes four yards on first down when maybe just one was available. He consistently did that and it makes a big difference. It forces the defense to honor the run, but it also enables Kyle Shanahan to keep them off-balance with his play calls. Two plays before the game-winning TD bomb, Helu ran to his right and was hit two yards deep. He broke free. He was hit again just past the line of scrimmage. He got away. He ended up with a three-yard gain. Does it look good on the stat book? No way. But it looks great on film. His line did a pretty solid job at first glance. There were a couple times they had the right play on and had the numbers, allowing them to seal a side. Other times guys like right tackle Jammal Brown would have the outside man hooked.
2. Let’s go to the 28-yard TD run. First, I’m going to go back about two months. Did a story on the three Nebraska rookies: Helu, Niles Paul and DeJon Gomes. And I asked Paul what we had not yet seen Helu do. Here’s what Paul said: “There’s a lot of things you haven’t seen from Roy; they’re coming. He likes to hurdle people. One game [at Nebraska] he told me, ‘I feel like jumping over somebody.’ And the next series he jumped over somebody.” Helu wanted the first down and this is how he was going to get it. The kid has some determination, no doubt, and he was willing to get drilled by a hard hitter in Kam Chancellor for the first down. But he bounced off Chancellor en route to the end zone. Give some credit to the play call, but really this shows you what you need to know about play-calling: It’s still about guys making plays. This play could have been stopped for no gain had the defender not tried to hit Helu so low. Helu made a good play. Anthony Armstrong makes a great individual play on his touchdown. Too often the Redskins haven’t had anyone make these sorts of dynamic plays.
3. No reason to start anyone else at running back again this season, right? Think it’s sort of obvious that Ryan Torain isn’t getting the job done. Can’t just blame everything on the line for him; good backs get positive yards even in tough situations. Helu did a good job in all phases. It’s funny, too, because he could have had some bigger plays had the screens been executed just a little better, mostly in terms of setting up blockers or having the blockers get to a defender in space. Helu’s start does not mean every kid under the age of 24 should now play. Keep in mind that some draft experts liked Helu a heck of a lot coming out of Nebraska (not all did, however). My guy ex-longtime NFL scout Dave Razzano said by the end of the season Helu would be starting ahead of Tim Hightower. Obviously injuries ended Hightower’s season, but point is: the kid had talent. Nobody is sitting there saying the same thing about a Terrence Austin, for example. Talent wins in this league, not age. LB Perry Riley looks like he can play; if you rush a young guy who is not a supreme talent then they might only get a few chances. Better to put those guys in when they’re ready. Riley is now playing well.
4. Before we get to a few other things, have to address this: the notion that they shouldn’t win to preserve their draft pick. Have to say, I don’t understand that thinking. In the NBA? Sure. In that league there might be four or five potential impact players in a draft. In the NFL, there’s a heck of a lot more. That’s one point. The other: who knows which players will even come out? Matt Barkley doesn’t have to, for example. Maybe he will but do you know for sure? Besides, what if the QB you really like is, say, a guy who doesn’t project to a top-5 pick for whatever reason. And you really don’t know which direction you’re going to go until after the season, when you’ve had a chance to study these players. Besides, Mike Shanahan will be very aggressive trying to move up if there’s a guy he thinks he can get.
5. But here’s the biggest reason why you don’t do it: when you’re trying to establish a foundation for a winning franchise, you don’t get there by going 3-13 and losing 12 straight. That’s unbelievably short-sighted thinking. You go places by creating an atmosphere of success. If they go 3-13, then you’d be a heck of a lot less confident in the coaching staff, right? Well, so would some of the players. That’s a lock. Is that really what you want? If they go 4-12 they have many more issues than one QB can solve. And it would take a few years longer. I’d much rather see a team do what the Redskins did today: show some fight, overcome adversity and win. Yeah, the Seahawks aren’t very good. Yeah it could end up giving them a lower draft choice. But, again, while it’s obviously important to develop talent it’s just as important to establish a culture. I’d rather see a guy like Helu, clearly a part of the future in some way, have a big game and help lead a win.
6. Quarterbacks can have terrific games and make bad throws. I go back to the Redskins game vs. the Colts last season in which Peyton Manning put on a throwing clinic, yet even in that game he got away with a few passes that should have or could have been picked. Point is, it happens to all QBs. That’s not to excuse Grossman for his two picks. I know Mike Shanahan said he liked Grossman’s mindset in throwing it downfield, but you’re asking a short receiver to make a big play surrounded by three taller DBs. The odds aren’t good. But Grossman was aggressive and Shanahan likes that. And it’s clear they felt some of the Seattle DBs did not adjust well to the ball in the air, notably Richard Browner. I kept waiting for him to react to the ball in the air and he didn’t; never got his arms up as the ball was coming. So Anthony Armstrong adjusted and hauled in a 50-yard bomb. Browner did nothing to disrupt the play. One thing to note on the play: Grossman had a ton of time to throw. The Seahawks rushed four and their best rusher, Chris Clemons, started on the right side and looped to his left and tried to go through Chris Chester. But Chester shoved him wide. That enabled Grossman to step into the pocket and put everything he had into the throw. Without Chester moving him wide, there’s not a big pocket. There were times, like on his first interception, that Grossman underrated the DBs size. He was trying to throw over the top of taller corners to short receivers. That’s not easy.
7. Grossman has his faults and he’s still a backup for a good team at this stage. But these players like him and respond to him. It’s funny because when he was benched a while back, Grossman talked about maybe trying to alter his mindset on some throws. He clearly hasn’t done that as he continues to be aggressive, sometimes forcing passes that get him in trouble. Really, he made a couple bad decisions today. But one thing he does do well: keep his poise. So when it’s 17-7 and he’s thrown two picks he doesn’t wilt. Leading that first TD drive in the fourth quarter was huge, especially because it happened so fast. When you answer that quickly, it changes things. I know the Redskins did nothing in terms of scoring between their first drive of the game and midway through the fourth quarter. But it was important to get points on that series, letting the players know last week was not an offensive fluke.
8. The Seahawks are not a very good team. They intercepted two passes, blocked a field goal and an extra point and still couldn’t beat a bad team playing on the road. Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is hurting and doesn’t have the same speed on his passes that he did before. However, he also throws off his backfoot too much and that exacerbates whatever issues he’s having with his arm. The Seahawks dropped several passes. They have Marshawn Lynch on offense and that’s about it right now. They stayed in the game in large part because of Redskins mistakes, some good returns and a couple timely plays. Their defense is fine, but the Redskins made them pay for being overaggressive in selling out on the run. Makes you wonder how much tape they watched of Washington. Hint: the Redskins sort of like to run bootlegs and misdirections. For a while it appeared as of the Seahawks were caught off-guard. The Redskins consistently froze the line and linebackers with the play-action play early, even before they had established the run. Heck, on the
9. Good lord, field goal unit. I know Trent Williams’ injury forced them to reshuffle a couple parts up front. But come on. Their coverage, which is usually outstanding, was not as good today. And, OK, I won’t fault Graham Gano for the blocks. But then to kick one out of bounds on the kickoff? I know they’re a directional team so this is always a possibility. But come on. Should Gano be gone? That’s the big sentiment. I’d say it’s tough to find good kickers on the street right now, but Gano has one of the worst percentages in the league.
10. Not a big fan of chippy play and some Redskins have been doing it far too often of late. It always seems to be the same players, too: Trent Williams, LaRon Landry and DeAngelo Hall (and lately with some London Fletcher mixed in). I love guys with passion. But I don’t like it when guys do it just to do it. And sometimes the Redskins toe that line a bit too close. Today was one of those days; they either could have appeared as a team with still a lot of fight or one that was out of control. The outcome suggersts the former. Still, Williams seems to get in the mix a bit too much and it’s hurt him on the field in other games. They’re fortunate it didn’t cost them today. You don’t want to back down and you have to like the passion, but you also need to keep your poise. Hall was beaten for a touchdown, but he responded with a late interception. He should have finished with two picks and Josh Wilson should have had one. Liked the way Wilson almost baited Jackson into a pick, not dropping at all off the line and staying inside the receiver. So the Redskins had a chance for those bunches of interceptions we’ve heard about. Didn’t like the pass interference call vs. him, but also thought Landry should have been flagged for one later in the game (and also thought Brian Orakpo was held on the last series, but it wasn’t called). In the end, I guess I’d say at least they yapped this way in a win. But Williams has gotten in trouble in two other games for this, he needs to stop.
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